Counter mechanism



Aug. 26, 1941. K. MEER W 2,253,721

COUNTER MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1938' Patented Au 26, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT {OFFICE counr szgnamsnr. I Karl Meer, Villingen',Schwarswald. Germany, asund App-rate Application July 27, 1938, SerialNo. 221,54 In Germany October 5, 1987 invention relates to a countermechanism which has the usual counter which is advanced progressivelyand gives a visible indication and is also provided for control p rposeswith a printing counter which is provided, for example, with typeprinting wheels and is driven synchronously with the formercounter andprints at least some of the same numerical value as that which isvisibly indicated; In counting mechanisms of this kind the numeralwheelsof the counter which gives a visible indication (hereinafter termed theindicating counter) are. fitted behind a window made of glass, Celluloidor the like which is fitted in the casing of the counting mechanism.Therefore if an attempt I is madeto interfere with the numeral wheels inorder to falsify the result indicated it is at least necessary to breakthis. window.

wheels of the printing counter in such a way that, after adjustment, thenumeral wheels of the indicating counter indicate the same numericalvalue as those of the printing counter; if this is done the unauthorizedinterference will I not be immediately noticeable. 4 The attempt haspreviously been made to obviate this possibility of falsification andfor this 35 purpose complicated and expensive safety de-- vices havebeen provided. According to. the present invention,

bility of adjusting the printing counter without detection and thereforeany possibilityof fraud 40 is prevented in a simple and certain mannerby I providing, in the connection between the glassprotected indicatingcounter and the printing counter which is drivenfrom it; a member whichI transmits the stepping movements of the indi-' 4 catin'g counter tothe printing counter and locks I the .indicating'counter, andthereforealso the printing counter,-'so that an unauthorized ad iustmentof the indicating counter, cannot be effcted by tampering with theprinting counter,

, Preferably the locking'n ember which prevents unauthorizedinterference with the printing and the; indicating counter isconstructedas a pinion which forms part of the Geneva wheel'mechaof thenumeral wheels of the indicating 65 As will be seen most clearly fromFigure 1 (emu-2i counter and isflxed onthe driving spindle of the Iprinting counter and,- owing to the flanks of its teeth coacting withthe periphery of the pertaining numeral wheel of the indicating counter,

prevents unauthorized adjustment of the driving spindle of the printingcounter and therefore of its printing wheels which are accessible fromthe outside.

A locking deviceconstructed in the manner described is particularlysimple because with it no further safety devices arerequired in additionto the parts necessary for driving the two counters.

25 has been possible to adjust the numeral wheels of the indicatingcounter from the printing any possif A counting mechanism constructed inaccord-" ance with the .invention is illustrated by way of Iexampleinthe accompanying drawing, in which Figure lis a plan of thecounting mechanism. Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the numeralwheels of the indicating counter and of the driving pinion which coactstherewith, while Figure 3 is a perspective view of the parts shown inFigure 2.- 1

' I Referring to the drawing, the numeral wheels 5, 6 and I of theindicating counter are revolubly mounted on a spindle ,4 between thearms I and I of the frame 3. The numerical values which are indicated bythe numeral wheels 5, 6 and 1 can be read through. a slot 9 in thecasing 10 1 of the instrument which is covered by a disc 8 30 made ofg1ass;Qelluloid or the like. As will later appear, any unauthorizedinterference with the numeral wheels 5, I and I is possible only afterthe window 8 has been broken with consequent detection.

To the numeral wheel-5 is rigidly connected 5 a stepping wheel II whichis stepped forward, by means of a stepping mechanism which may be ofa-knownlrind and is not illustrated in the drawing, in such away thatthe first numeral wheel 5 of the indicating counter isintermittentlystepped fo'rwardby one numerical unit.

The tens stepping'is effected in known manner by meansof a steppingtooth I2 which is provided on each of the numeral-wheelsJ and 6 andwhich coacts at each complete revolution of its numeral wheel with oneof the driving pinions II and I4 respectively.

- 'Ihe driving pinions i3 and H which effect the tens stepping of thenumeral wheelsare mounted on a spindle I! which is iournalled in thearms I and 2 of thefr'ame 3, thedriving pinion. "being fixed to thespindle it by a pin' it, while the driving pinion I4 is mounted looselyon the spindle.

each driving pinion is provided alternately with a narrow tooth a and awide tooth b, considered in the direction of the axis of the spindle. Aslong as the steppins tooth II of the numeral wheel is not in engagementwith the driving pinion the numeral wheel is free to rotate in the spacewhich is bounded by two wide teeth b and a narrow tooth a. when a tensstepping has to take place, the tooth I2 of the numeral wheel engagesthe nearest wide tooth b of the driving pinion, so that the drivingpinion is rotated by an amount corresponding to the distance between twowide teeth b. Since the teeth a and b of the driving pinions are inengagement at their other ends in the teeth I! and Ho respectively ofthe next higher numeral wheel, this wheel is also stepped by onenumerical unit. This arrangement and method 01 operation is well known.

On the spindle l which is extended beyond the arm I up to the arm I8 01the frame 3 are mounted the type wheels I! and 2a of the printingcounter which carry the type numerals 0-9 on their periphery, thesenumerals being mirror images of those they represent having regard tothe printing process. The printing types t project outwardly through aslot 2| provided in the casing l0 so that they can be brought intocontact with a control ticket or the like on which the printing is totake place.

The construction and operation or the type wheels ll, 20 and their tensstepping mechanism are the same as that of the numeral wheels 5, 6 andI.

The printing counter is driven by means of the spindle I! which fixedlycarries a pinion 22 which meshes with teeth 2! on the first printingwheel It. In order to eflect the tens stepping from the type wheel I! tothe wheel a,

a pinion 24 is revolubly mounted on the spindle II. This pinion is oiabout the same construction as the pinions II and H, but reversed endior end.

The important feature of the invention now is that the pinion I3 isfixed by the pin II to the driving spindle I! of the printing counterll, 10. Then, it an attempt be made to alter one oi. the two type wheelsII or II by moving the type t which project through the slit II, theintended rotation is transmitted through the agency or the teeth 23 andthe pinion I! to the spindle I 5 and therefore to the pinion I! which,however, cannot be rotated, because according to the intended directionof rotation one 01' the two wide teeth b or the driving pinion is whichcoact with the numeral wheel I been against the periphery of the numeralwheel. An adJustment therefore of the printing counter is prevented inthis simple manner.

I claim:

A counting mechanism comprising a casing, a numeral wheel mounted insaid casing, a window in said casing through which said numeral wheel isvisible, 9. type wheel mounted in said casing, a slot in said casingthrough which said type wheel is accessible for printing, a spindlerevolubly mounted in said casing, a pinion last on said spindle havingteeth which coact with ,the periphery 01' said numeral wheel, a tooth Ion said numeral wheel by which a stepping movement of said pinion isperiodically eflected and means for transmitting the movements of saidpinion and spindle to said type wheel, said pe-

